Electrolytic apparatus.



O. A. PARKS. ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1914. 11,1 31 859 Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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Specification of Letters .Qatent.

insists.

Application filed September '34, 331.4%.

T all w/iom 2'17 may concern Be it known that l, CLIFTON A. PARKS, acitizen ofthe United States of America, and a resident of Chicago,county of (look, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful lrnprovements vin. Electrolytic Apparatus, of Which thefollowingis a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form ofelectrolytic apparatus suitable for use in decomposing products by.electricity; to provide an improved apparatus of this kind particularlyadapted for use in the commercial production. of hydrogen and oxygen bythe decorposition of water; and to provide an improved construction andarrangementof the electrodes so as to facilitate the decomposition ofthe electrolyte and the collection of the products which are. liberatedthereby.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of theimproved electrolytic apparatus, a part thereof being broken away andshown in section so as to more clearly illustrate the construc tionthereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the terminal bindingpost. Fig, 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail of one of theconductor plates and baille plates attached. Fig. l: is an enlarged endView of the electrode proper removed from the easing, Fig. 5 is a detailview in elevation of one of the supports, for the electrode plates. Fig.6 is a plan View partly sectional of the complete electrode with thehell or top of the casing removed In the construction shown in thedrawings, the apparatus comprises a casing or housing 1, within whichare suspended the terminal posts 2, to which the conductor plates 3, ofthe electrode, are attached.

The casing is made up of a bell l, having depending flanges 5 extendingaround the edges thereof, and end members 6 having inwardly disposedflanges 7 along the Vertical edges thereof and forming channel members.The end members 6 are secured together at their lower ends by bars 8 andhave their upper ends received *ithin the flanges of the bell l. Thecasing parts are preferablyinetal stampings and their arrangement asshown in Fig. 1 provides open ,sides and bottom through which theelectrdde proper is exposed.

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are prefand have suitable plates 3 wrought iron and are secured to theders 9 on the posts preferably by w the plates on, each side beingarranged. in substantially parallel relation and spaced apart thethickness supports Bf so u to provide a. vertically disposed. open soacell 6) between the liner edges of plates. lnsulating battle 152preterably made of hard rubber, are secured to the plates 3 so to extendbeyond the sides and ends thereof, as shown in Figs. at and 6. Thehafile plates 12 are secured to the respective conductor plates 3 atintervals along their length by means of screws 13, with spacing blocks14; located between the plates so as to the, cnductor plates and thebarlle plates apart and allow gases arising from ti e top of the plates3 to be deflected in to the space The angularity and spacing of thef cs3 are such that the screws 13 co. vc liently accessible for attaching orremoving the .ha'ille plates 12-. Since the battle plates extend beyondthe ends and sides or the conductor plates, they engage the end members6 and support the electrode proper centrally in the casingout oilcontact with all parts thereoi".

The post 2, to which the source of elec trinity connected, has the stud10 extendgular cross-section and have,

iids 10 which extend supporting mg a considerable distance above thetop.

of hell i, as shown in Fig. 2, and is electrically insulated "from thehell by means of a gasket or insulating washer 15 and an insulating tube16, embracing the stud and incased n thin a tube or shell. 17 welded onthe top 41;. A. nut 18 hearing on an insulating washer 19, firmlysecures the post 2 in place. A. bus bar or terminal member 20 isattached to the stud l0 and secured against dislodginent by means of aknurled nut 21. A pipe is provided for drawing oil the gases as theyaccumulate in the bell t and directing thorn 'i o a reservoir (notshown). ided with suitable trap cylinder 22 secured to the bell 4: andhaving a pipe 23 extending up from below the bell into the interior ofthe cylinder above the water level. A bell 24, suspended from the top ofthe'cylinder 22, extends below the water level in the cylinder so as toprovide a water seal. The support for the bell 2a is the pipe 26, whichis closed at its lower end and provided with apertures 25, through whichthe gases enter the pipe 26 after pass ing through the liquid in thetrap.

A pipe or elbow 27 is supported on one of the end flanges 5 of the bella (as shown in Fig. 1) and communicates with the interior of the bell.This pipe has its outlet a short distance above the lower edges of theflanges 5 -and in case the gas is liberated faster than it is takenaway, the overflow will occur through the outlet of the pipe 27 insteadof bubbling out around the edges of the flanges 5.

When the apparatus herein shown is used, a plurality of devices as shownin Fig. l are arranged closely together side by side with their opensides opposed, and immersed in a tank containing the electrolyte, suchas di tilled water, rendered slightly acid or alnaline to increase itsconductivity. Alternate electrodes are respectively connected to thepositive and negative terminals of the source of electricity. When theelectrodes are charged, the current passes through the electrolyte fromthe plates 3 on one electrode'to-the plates 3 on the adjacent electrode.As is well known, the electrolyte is thereby decomposed into itselements, hydrogen being liberated at the negative plates and oxygen atthe positive plates. As the bubbles of gases are liberated, they travelup the inclined parts of the plates 3 and 12 into the open space 11 andrise to the top of the casing l and into the pipes 23 from which theyare conveyed to the storage reservoir. This arrangement of the conductorplates of the electrode also promotes the circulation of electrolyte,since the-latter is carried along by the gases rising between plates ofelectrodes, and thus maintains uniformity of density of electrolyte'andprevents the deposit on the plates of acid or alkaline salts present inthe electrolyte.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention asdefined by the following claims 1. Anelectrode. comprising a support, a plurality of conductor platesattached to said support one above another and inclined upwardly, andbattle plates of insulating material attached to said conductor platesand extending beyond the edges there-oi.

An electrode, comprising a support, a

plurality of conductor plates attached to said support one above anotherand inclined terial attached to said conductor plates and extendingbeyond the edges thereof, said baille plates overlapping said conductorplates and being spaced, away therefrom.

a. An electrode-comprising a support, a

plurality of plates attached to said support one above another andinclined upwardly, channel members embracing the ends of said plates,and a gas collecting bell located over the top of said plates andresting on said channel members.

5.-An electrode comprising a support, a plurality of conductor platesattached to said support one above another and inclined upwardly, batlleplates of insulating material attached to said conductor plates andextending beyond the edges thereof, channel members embracing the endsof said conductor plates and being spaced away from the ends and sidesthereof by said baftle plates, and a gas collecting bell located overthe top of said plates and resting on said channel members.

6. An electrode comprising a pair of vertically disposed supports, aplurality of conductor plates extending from one to the other oi saidsupports and attached thereto on opposite sides thereof, said platesbeing inclined inwardly and upwardly and providing a space between theirinner edges, channel members embracing the ends of said plates,insulating means attached to said conductor plates and engaging saidchannel members so as to space said conductor plates away thereirou'i, agas collecting bell located above said plates and resting on saidchannel members. and means connecting said supports to said bell.

7. in an electrolytic apparatus, the com bination of a casing; open attwo sides, a terminal post suspended within'said casing, conductorplates extendinglongitudinally of said casing and secured to said postat opposite sides thereofisaid plates being arranged one above anotherand inclined inwardly and upwardly and providing a space between theirinner edges.

8. in an electrolytic apparatus, the combination of a casing open at twosides, a terminal. post suspended "within said casing, conductor platesextending longitudinally of said casing and secured to said post atopposite sides thereof, said plates being arranged one above another andinclined inupwardly, and baille plates of insulating magetfllweellitheir mngr edges, an? insulating tember 1914. v

a e p ates secure to said con iictor plates and extending beyond theedges and ends CLIFTON PARKS 5 thereof and engaging said casing so as toWitnesses: i

support said conductor-plates out of contact EUGENE A. RUMMLER,therewith. M. IRENE HU'rcHINGs.

wardly and upwardly and providing aspace Signed at Chicago this 12th dayof Sep-

